Claiming Lily Potter
by Innocent Magic
Summary: "My my, Mr Malfoy," she said, removing her sunglasses and looking up at him from under thick lashes. "One would think you were stalking me or something." Lily Luna Potter has caught the attention of Scorpius Malfoy, and she's not one for giving into his charms too easily. Previously posted as 'So On'; has since undergone reconstruction.


**CLAIMING LILY POTTER**

* * * Innocent Magic * * *

In a flurry of short skirts and untucked shirts, the Gryffindor Quidditch girls flocked from their changing rooms, keen to escape to the school grounds after a gruelling practice. Amidst the chaos, it wasn't too difficult to spot the tall team captain, head thrown back in laughter at something said by the girl beside her. Unlike her team-mates, the captain, Lily Potter, preferred to keep her uniform near spotless when in the public eye – she had an image of perfection to maintain, after all.

Brushing a stray tear from her pretty brown eyes, Lily led the girls across the sunny courtyard towards the castle, donning a pair of sunglasses as she walked.

Suddenly her seeker was poking her arm and pointing not-so-subtley to their right. And Lily was thus alerted to the presence of one Scorpius Malfoy, the very epitome of nonchalance. Cocky prat had probably conjured the light breeze himself, to make his white-blond hair drift across his liquid-silver eyes in just the right way.

He was leaning against the high stone walls, hidden among the creeping ivy by the doors to the Entrance Hall. He had his bag slung over his shoulder haphazardly and his Slytherin prefects' tie hanging loosely under an undone top button. How on Earth he'd ever become a school prefect was beyond Lily; he was a mess of a man, perpetually running late and skiving off duties. Completely unfair that he could get away with so much with just a smile and some charm.

Despite his quite obvious failings though, Scorpius was almost as popular as her. Ludicrous.

Whatever the teachers saw in the git, it was enough to negate the fact he'd been held back a year due to Dragon Pox in his sixth year, her fifth. That had been when Lily had first ever really spoken to him, during those first two weeks of the sickness (before he'd been transferred to St Mungos for closer observation). She'd had a concussion from a Charms lesson gone awry and had had to stay overnight in the Hospital Wing. They'd not discussed anything of substance, not with the redhead slipping in and out of consciousness the entire night, but it had signalled the start of their friendship.

Friendship. The one word that most definitely didn't apply to whatever it was they were doing. More like sexual-tension-filled-attempt-at-remaining-not-quite-civil-but-not-quite-snogging. Essentially, shameless flirting with a lot of attraction thrown in – and two very much clashing personalities.

Lily had no idea what it was about him that had her so hooked. Obviously he was bloody gorgeous; every witch in the castle knew that. But he was everything she normally couldn't stand: unkempt and lacking ambition (other than to have a bit of a laugh, and that didn't count). And yet she had to really make an effort not to swoon as the lad's eyes continued to track her movements in a piercing stare.

"Lils!" A high-pitched giggle from the team's seeker interrupted the captain from her reverie. The younger girl was brandishing a camera eagerly and, smiling wildly as she skipped in the September sunshine, gave out the instruction to pose.

Everything seemed so much better on a warm day, so much brighter. It was a good feeling, Lily decided, as she pulled Lucy (her best friend and favourite cousin) into the photo alongside her. Almost as exhilarating as that 50ft nose-dive she'd pulled off on the field just an hour before, snatching up the falling Quaffle and shooting it past her keeper, Graham Gracey, straight through the middle hoop. If she could replicate the move in the next match (Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff – an easy win), they were a shoo-in for the cup a third year running. Then she'd be almost guaranteed a try-out at a professional team after NEWTS.

As they drew nearer to the front doors, she could make out a sloppy grin spreading over Scorpius' easy-going face. Bet he was loving the sight of her normally composed self hanging across her best friends, shaking with laughter.

He was always telling her she needed to loosen up a little more.

They were almost level with him when he chose to open that stupid mouth of his.

"Good day, Lils?" he called to her in a drawl, smirking.

Lily merely raised an elegant eyebrow in his direction. Turning back to her team-mates, she found they'd erupted into giggles again.

"I'll meet you in the Common Room?" she asked. No reply – they were all enjoying themselves too much. "Honestly!" She threw her hands up in the air good-naturedly.

Lucy caught her eye and beamed reassuringly. "You look fine," she mouthed. Thank Merlin for cousins who knew exactly what to say.

Adjusting the strap of her schoolbag, Lily hopped over to the pale-skinned boy with a toothy grin on her freshly glossed mouth.

"My my, Mr Malfoy," she said, removing her sunglasses and looking up at him from under thick lashes. "One would think you were stalking me or something." Scorpius' response, much to her amusement, was a husky chuckle and a gesture for her to move closer.

His hands went immediately to rest gently on her waist as soon as she complied. Eyes trailed lazily from her silky sheath of deep red curls and her tantalising chocolate eyes, down to her legs accentuated by (school appropriate, naturally) peep-toe heels. And, of course, those ever-alluring grey knee-high socks. His appraisal was clear in the curve of his lips.

"Now why would anyone think that, aye?"

"You tell me," she replied coyly. Boldly, she twirled a coil of hair around one perfectly manicured finger. A quick flirt never hurt anybody – especially not now both her brothers had graduated. There was no one left who would chastise her for her choice in mates.

Scorpius leant in to still Lily's hand, capturing the stray curl in his own hand and tucking it with care behind her ear.

"It wouldn't be stalking if you'd agree to be my girlfriend already, Lils," he murmured.

She dropped her eyes to the floor. Were they doing this again now, really? He knew her reasons, knew why they were stuck in their awkward, intense limbo.

"I know, Lily," he sighed. "I know you don't trust me. My reputation with girls isn't too good."

"Scorp – "

"No, I get it, I promise. I'm not good enough for you."

"That's not –"

"You've all these goals and aims, and you're amazing for them!" he said, voice low and dangerously delectable. "I'll probably be stuck somewhere dead-ended when I'm forty, nothing but a Malfoy spawn."

She stayed quiet; he'd made it clear enough already he didn't want her speaking. But the sincerity in his voice was overwhelming her and she felt her knees go weak. All this time, she'd thought he'd understood her viewpoint, when really, he'd been completely misinterpreting everything she'd said.

His hand caressed her cheek, then lifted her jaw slightly so that she had no choice but to gaze into those startling eyes of his.

"I just want you to know," he whispered, lips brushing the corner of her mouth. "I just want to tell you that right now, I really like you. Really."

She was putty in his hands. Her eyes closed as Scorpius pressed a chaste butterfly-kisses to her cheek, and another, and then another. The grounds were silent, deserted save for the two of them, and the sensation had her dizzy. How had he managed to make everything suddenly so much more... real?

His hands were gripping at her waist tightly. Did he mean it?

_Take a risk, Potter. Live a little for once. _Mind whirring, his words from all those months ago filled her senses.

So she nodded.

"I suppose I wouldn't want you getting arrested over me," she said softly, opening her eyes to stare directly into Scorpius'. Merlin, he looked so adorably hopeful and she couldn't bear it any longer. "I'm going to kiss you now, if you don't mind."

Someone's breath hitched – she didn't take the time to work out whose.

All she could think of, before closing that gap between them at long last, was that there was one word she'd yet to say.

"Boyfriend."

Much better. One cheeky wink, the meeting of lips, and Lily Potter was most definitely a claimed woman. She wouldn't have it any other way.

**A/N **Hope you liked the new revised version of this story. My writing style has changed quite a bit since this was first written three years ago. If you like other Next Gen fics, or Fred/Hermione as a pairing, there are a wealth of new stories on my profile, some of which are updated near daily. Thanks for reading!


End file.
